Second Chance (Zaroon & Aaila - Fawad Khan & Mahira Khan)
by storyselects
Summary: Zaroon (Zindagi Gulzar Hai played by Fawad Khan) & Aaila (Neeyat played by Mahira Khan; character is a mix of Aaila & Falak). Single parents Zaroon & Aaila are bringing up their children singlehandedly and also face societal pressure to settle down. Things get complicated when they meet and realise their past is getting in the way of them being together. ROMANCE/ SERENDIPITY/ ASIAN
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

Hi, thanks for taking the time to look at my story. Some of you may not be familiar with the shows/ characters this is based on, being from the Indian subcontinent will help you get the flow of things, characters and some of the words that absolutely had to be in Hindi - but obviously you're welcome to read anyway and ask questions if there's anything you do not understand.

Just a little disclaimer, I don't own any of these characters and the story is the result of random musings and liking the following characters A LOT:

\- Zaroon from Zindagi Gulzar Hai (was played by the hottie Fawad Khan) he is our protagonist

\- Aaila from Neeyat (played by pretty gal Mahira Khan, though I also love another character called Falak that she played in this drama called Shehr-e-Zaat/ "city of self". So you'll find that Aaila is actually a mix of Aaila from Neeyat and Falak from Shehr-e-Zaat)

\- Other characters from these soaps or ones that I've just created to help the flow of the story

Lastly, I understand that there are people who don't appreciate AU and ship Zaroon with Kashaf of Zindagi Gulzar Hai, I respect your feelings and while this story isn't about your OTP I haven't bashed Kashaf.

Same for people who ship Aaila & Sikander from Neeyat or Falak & Salmaan/ Hamza from Shehr-e-Zaat.

 **Chapter One**

The alarm went off at 6:30am, he was a light sleeper and woke up easily. Then sitting in bed he rubbed his eyes as he went through his schedule for the day on the iPhone. He had started forgetting things lately and the routine helped, with so much to do and such little time he didn't remember when he'd last taken a day off for himself. He found his way to his six year old son's bedroom and woke him up for school, the boy was good for his age and never gave him much trouble. The next 50 minutes went by like they did every day of the working week, he dressed for work and helped his son Nivyaan dress for school, then they went downstairs and had a quick breakfast with his parents after which he dropped his son to school on the way to work.

He was in the office before everyone else, there in the solace of his cabin he'd have his morning coffee and half an hour of what he called "me time" – in this duration he read the morning news, caught up with the diaspora of friends through Facebook, went through his personal emails and generally did things of little consequential value. The routine continued six days a week when he was in the office and he liked the sense of discipline it brought to his life.

Life which had been tough since the sudden accident and death of his wife three years ago, Nivyaan was too young to remember the details but he knew the boy missed his mother, especially when he saw the mothers of his peers turn up at things for school. Sometimes, no matter what he did as a father he felt he had failed to fill the void caused by his wife's death. There were times he wanted to believe otherwise, but then his mother and sister would be at at, telling him otherwise. He sighed as he closed his Gmail and logged into the intranet to start the day's work.

In another part of the city, a flustered architect was going through the designs of a staircase for the eighth time with her clients who wanted the best money could buy and more. She'd consulted three colleagues, an expert in France and her boss and nothing would satisfy this couple who were obsessed to find a fusion of Victorian elegance with the space-edginess of Star Trek. She went to Rushna's cubicle as soon as they left and demanded that the two head to the office canteen for cups of steaming tea and samosas. Rushna had been with her since primary school, the two went to the same college to study architecture and later ended up working for the same practice. Rushna she didn't have to ask any questions, she just knew everything there was to know and more. Unlike her, Rushna did everything right and didn't make a big deal about it, she had everything going for her, but took her time to find the right man and married him at the sensible age of twenty-seven, that was three years ago and she and Nadir now had a year old bundle of joy called Laiba. She on the other hand had met Salman at a friend's party, he was smart, had a great sense of humour, a decent career as a copywriter and came from an uber rich background so money was never a problem but he was all sorts of wrong for her. It didn't matter though, she was twenty-one and still in college, they were married within a year in spite of much resistance from her friends and parents. Life was okay initially, then she got pregnant and had Faiz and somewhere, something changed. She wasn't sure what, perhaps it was her? Or maybe he was the horrible, vile man Rushna had always thought him to be, they started living apart when Faiz was barely a year old and got divorced two years ago. He found a job in Dubai and emigrated and she settled down at one of the biggest and most respected architectural practices in Karachi. She had her brother and parents, a good support system in friends like Rushna and a job that paid well, if only she could successfully be both father and mother to Faiz, and remove the pain of her divorce life and Salman's departure. Faiz was five now and boy was he growing up fast, it wasn't easy to explain why his parents didn't live together anymore. Apart from that she didn't mind being single, but hated the looks people gave her now that all her friends were getting married, it was like her life was over and she'd barely turned thirty. Thinking all of this, as she dressed for the wedding of a school friend Mariam she practiced smiling and rehearsed her standard response as she braced herself for the standard "Have you thought about remarrying?" questions. Her mother knocked on the door to say they were all ready and waiting downstairs then and she set off.

"So, which of these do you think looks better with this suit?" he said as he held up two neckties to Nivyaan who looked bored and antsy so he said, "you know what? It's not like I'm off to a business meeting, I'll skip the tie. Don't think Osama will mind! Come on then" he said as he threw the ties on the bed "You're coming with daada daadi later, I'm the best man, have to go now"

It was a quick drive to Osama's house from where he lived but he decided to take a detour as he smoked a cigarette and thought about his best friend, who'd waited till the age of thirty-four before taking the plunge. Unlike him, who prided himself on being a great judge of people and rushed into marriage at the age of twenty-six and then proceeded to father a child. Not that he regretted any of it, cause honestly Nivyaan was the best thing that had ever happened to him but he still thought about the opportunity costs of an early marriage, he'd missed out on quite a few things that his friends got up to simply because he was married. And now he was the silent participant in conversations about wife troubles as all his friends were settling down, he didn't mind but sometimes being the odd one bothered him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

His best friend was getting married, it felt great but he didn't like crowds and wished Pakistani weddings would be simpler. But in spite of all the palaver, he'd driven the groom's car to the venue and been at the centre of activities, done everything a best man or best friend is supposed to do. After all, Osama had done the same for him at his wedding. A voice interrupted his thoughts "Zaroon… Zaroon… earth to!" he looked at Osama who was frantically calling out to him in spite of being seated on his left on the stage. "What is it Osama? It's your wedding day, we're sitting here under the glare of the photographer, the videographer and half of Karachi. Must you shriek like a girl tonight?" he replied irritated and their friends on the stage laughed. Osama sighed and said "I wasn't shrieking..." then added "can you get me some water please? The wait and all this smiling business is getting on my nerves"

Zaroon gave his friend a curt nod and got off the stage, Osama could be such a diva at times. He was here with the groom's party and had headed straight to the stage with Osama, how did his friend expect him to navigate his way round a wedding hall full of just under a thousand people and find water? Or maybe he could just nick a bottle from one of the tables. Thinking just that, he made his way to one of the tables at the back that looked unoccupied and picked a bottle. "So you're still into claiming things that belong to others? I guess its true then, old habits die hard!" said a playful voice behind him. He turned around and saw a woman, dressed in a tasteful red and black printed silk saree she looked beautiful, and familiar. He thought he'd seen her somewhere but out loud he said, "I'm sorry, didn't know this table was taken". She smiled and said "It was about to be, but that isn't important. This bottle was intended for the table." He frowned, why was this woman talking to him like she knew who he was? And why couldn't he remember where he'd seen her?

He decided he'd risk being thought of as rude and asked "Have we met before?" She gave him a small smile and said, "I'm surprised you don't remember, but then it has been a while. I'm Aaiyla" she paused and added "Hashim Durrani's daughter?" he did a double take, how could he forget that name? She'd given him sleepless nights and was the reason he'd gotten married to Kashaf. But she looked different now, fuller with a few lines around the eyes her hair was all different and her smile didn't light the entire room like it did back then, she still had the spark though as she waved her hands in front of him just then "Hellooo?" she said, "Gone for a walk down memory lane or are you still trying to place me?" He smiled and shook his head "How can I ever forget you? I'm just bad at remembering faces" then added carefully "and you look a bit different now" she rolled her eyes and said "good different I hope? But wait… don't answer that. I've aged."

He smiled and said "Are you still as self-depreciating as you were back then?" and she gave him that grin which had first captured his attention and said, "I like to think modest but lets not get into that argument, how are you and the family?"

"Good, great actually. Sarah's married and has two kids. Mum and dad work part time now and spend the rest of the time with their grandkids and travel quite a bit. And I have a son, he's six. How about you? Is Sikander still keen on boxing?" He grinned remembering her younger brother's pathetic attempt to box his face ears ago and she had obviously not forgotten either, as she smiled and answered "He's a Chartered Accountant now, so amateur boxing has taken a back seat. Paa retired two years ago and now spends his time playing golf and bridge, Ammi still works with the disadvantaged kids but like your parents has cut down on the number of hours. And like you, I have a son. He just turned five." So she had gotten married after all, he thought but out loud he said "and what about college? Are you still studying or did you drop out?" he teased.

She gives him a mock glare and says "You'll be surprised, I graduated top of my class on time and I'm an associate at ASA now" he knew she wasn't bad but top of her class? Wow. How did she manage that with all that was going on in her life back then? He was about to ask her just that when she said "Hey, were you going somewhere with that bottle?" and he looked at the Aquafina he was holding in his hands and clicked his tongue "Dang, Osama wanted some water… see you later" he said as he rushed back to the stage, some best man he was!

"Here he comes, the man of the hour!" Asmara teased as he got on the stage and he noticed she'd already gotten Osama the water. "Where on earth were you Zaroon?" asked Osama and he opened his mouth to speak as he felt this overpowering need to tell his best friends who he'd just met but the lights dimmed as the bride chose that moment to make her appearance and everyone looked at the entrance. Zaroon and Asmara wished their friend luck and got off the stage to make way for Mariam who looked beautiful in a red, orange and dull gold outfit as she made her way towards her husband. Osama had done well for himself he thought and felt a hand on his jacket as Asmara adjusted the pocket square she had made him wear earlier in the evening, "honestly Zaroon, the thing is sinking into your pocket! A little attention to your dressing wouldn't hurt. What's happened to you?" she said and then fell silent almost as suddenly as she'd started. There was a brief pause before she started talking again, "Waqar is late again, he's had it if he doesn't turn up before dinner is served" she said referring to her husband and took out her phone to call him. Zaroon walked away, feeling sorry for Waqar. Asmara was one hell of a woman but boy could she nag!

Aaiyla saw Zaroon with Asmara from the other end of the room just as Mariam made her way to the stage and thought he'd done well. The woman he was with looked smart, confident and was dressed elegantly in a pale pink lehnga. Her thoughts were interrupted by Rushna who came up to her then and started talking about Mariam's outfit but it wasn't long before she sensed her friend was looking at someone else and saw Asmara "who's that?" she asked Aaiyla who sighed and said "She is part of a very long story… what were you saying about Mariam's outfit?" Rushna started to say something but then decided against it, she'd find another moment.

Later that night, he lay in bed thinking about Aaiyla Durrani. He'd met her nine years ago and she'd unknowingly altered the course of his life. She had aged alright, gone was big eyed unsure petulant girl he'd met. And in her place was his woman who was elegant, confident but he felt had retained some of her innocence. He was surprised her marriage had worked. He'd gone to school with Salman Ansar they were in the same year till completing A'levels and didn't really get along. Then Zaroon went to England and studied engineering while Salman went to the States and studied marketing, there was no reason for them to stay in touch but he occasionally had updates from friends and then heard about Salman from Aaiyla. He tried to tell her then that the man was bad news and totally wrong for a girl as naïve as Aaiyla but she wouldn't have any of it and so they went their ways. And now, they had met again after all these years. She had every right to smirk and tell him she'd been right at the time but hadn't and he felt deep admiration for her as he fell asleep that night.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

She skipped Mariam's valima, they'd been part of a tightly knit group of friends at school but went separate ways when she chose architecture and Mariam went to medical school and while they'd always kept in touch it wasn't the same anymore after a few years. Besides, Rushna and Nadir had to be at another wedding that night and she didn't want to go without her best friend. And now, it was Monday and she was a hamster on wheels again. An early start followed by helping Faiz get ready for school, sorting his uniform, backpack, lunchbox and making sure he had a proper breakfast which meant she hardly had time for any. And Rushna, bless her for knowing and understanding as she'd brought her friend coffee and muffins yet again. Aaiyla looked at her friend with a quizzical expression when she saw Rushna sit on a chair in her cubicle "aren't you supposed to be working on the bay windows for Subhaani sahab's house this morning?" she asked. Rushna leaned back into the chair, yawned and said "there's time for that, I need a break now". Aaiyla smirked and said, "A break at 9am on a Monday morning? Marriage has ruined you for work Rushna, you should just stay home with Laiba and make nihaari etc. for Nadir all day long"

"Funny! Everyone's not like you Aaiyla. Some of us like to take it easy once in a while. And anyway, I've done most of the work on those windows, just need to clean up the edges on the design and that shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Did you hear the gossip about Mariam's valima?" said Rushna and continued when Aaiyla shook her head in denial "apparently she refused to wear the outfit her inlaws had picked for the occasion and went in something of her own. Her mother in law saw what had happened at the venue and stormed off in anger… she's such a number!"

Aaiyla looked at her friend in disbelief and said, "don't believe everything the gossipmongers tell you, it can't be as bad as that" although she knew Mariam was capable of all that and more but she really wasn't interested in random gossip so keen to change the topic added "I liked what she was wearing at the baraat though" to which Rushna said "really? I thought you didn't, you barely looked at her when she made the grand entrance to that Saawariya number…" paused and added, "oh wait, weren't you looking at the other chick? Who was that anyway?"

Aaiyla smiled and sipped her coffee to create a deliberate pause before saying "That was Mrs Zaroon Junaid." Rushna looked puzzled, "Mrs who?" Aaiyla raised an eyebrow at that, Rushna never forgot people "I'm surprised you don't remember Zaroon, you know Junaid Khan's son. They're the owners of the construction company that built the block of flats you're in love with… the same Zaroon who…" she was cut of as Rushna exclaimed "THAT Zaroon? Oh My God, where did you get back in touch with him? And after all these years? What was he doing at that wedding anyway? Didn't your parents stop seeing his family?"

"Easy Rush," she said "I think he's friends with Osama and we just met at the wedding".

"Does he still look the same?" asked her friend at which Aaiyla smiled and said "better, if I'm to be honest with you… but what's the point? You're married, he's married so forget about it"

Rushna laughed at her friend, Aaiyla was a clever girl, but she could also be pretty daft at times "Alright, I'd better get going now" and the conversation ended harmlessly. Zaroon Junaid was a special person thought Rushna as she settled into her cubicle, he'd come into her friend's life at a time when Facebook and other forms of social networking weren't around but no reason why she couldn't check him out now. Thinking just that, she opened Facebook and typed Zaroon Junaid into the search panel, of course being friends with Osama helped as he came straight up in the mutual friend's section and Rushna realised her friend was right, Zaroon had gotten better with time and he had a son. She sighed looking at the profile picture he had on and was logged out to concentrate on getting the bay windows right.

He'd looked around for her at Osama's valima and felt a strange sense of disappointment at being unable to spot her. When curiosity got the better of him he went up to Osama and asked "Haven't you invited Salman today?" Osama looked visibly surprised as he asked "you don't mean Salman Ansar do you?" and continued when Zaroon nodded "have you gone off your rocker? We haven't met him in ages, and never got along with him when we were in school. Why would I invite him?"

"So you didn't invite him yesterday?" asked Zaroon. "Like I said, why should I?" answered Osama and added "anyway, I heard he lives in Dubai now, it isn't a difficult trip but I don't see him making it for my wedding. Now please stop asking strange questions and check the situation with the caterers for me." Zaroon shook his head in the affirmative and walked away thinking she must have been invited from the bride's side.

But two days had passed and he'd been unable to get her out of his thoughts. They lived in the same city and had gone to the same school a few years apart, they probably even moved around in the same social circle as their parents had been friends at one point but had somehow managed to avoid each other, maybe it was because she'd moved to Dubai with Salman. But wait, he thought, hadn't she said she was an associate with ASA now? Surely that meant she lived in Karachi? Or did she live between Karachi and Dubai as was common with a lot of people. He wondered if he could ask around, being in the construction business he had a few connections in the practice but then thought against it. The woman was married and he didn't want people to get the wrong impression.

Dinner was a quiet affair in the Junaid household that night, Sarah had come over for a few days and there was never a dull moment with his sister around. The kids were already in bed and he knew the question before his sister asked "so have you decided yet?" He decided to act naïve and said, "decided what?"

Sarah dropped her fork with a clatter and said "oh for pity's sake Zaroon! You can have amma and abba fooled but don't try that on me… you know I'm talking about Rihaana" Zaroon sighed and said "and I've said it a number of times before, but I'll say it again for your benefit. I'm not interested." Fareeda Junaid decided to jump into the conversation then "but you can't go on like this Zaroon, you're thirty-four and you have your life ahead of you, besides there's Nivyaan to think about too. Your son needs a mother."

"And Sarah's idea of a mother is twenty-two year old spinster Maa" answered Zaroon, "what would she know about a six year old's needs? Or the complications of settling down with a widower? She'd want a fresh start and I promise you she wouldn't be in this if I wasn't Junaid Khan's son" he waved his hands in the air and said "she wants a piece of this. This lifestyle, the money and all that comes with it. Nivyaan and a husband twelve years older than her is just a small price she has to pay for it. There are countless girls in this city who'd agree to be part of that deal, I can have anyone if that's the type of woman I want."

Fareeda sighed and answered, "yes but you've got to decide and get married. Never mind Rihaana, find someone else, we just want you settled and happy. Your father and I can't help around with Nivyaan forever and you know that."

Zaroon was angry, his parents were a huge help with Nivyaan but he hadn't asked for any of it so he said out loud "I'm not expecting you to, I'm quite capable of bringing up my son on my own and if its too much of a problem to have us around I'll move out"

Junaid Khan who'd silently been listening to the back and forth between his wife, daughter and son spoke out at that moment "that's not what your mother meant and you know that. Anyway, I think we've talked about this enough for tonight. Why don't you think about it Zaroon and perhaps your mother and sister can continue to look for someone more appropriate in the meantime" he looked pointedly at his daughter at that point and conversation ended as they proceeded to eat the rest of their meal in silence.


End file.
